Traveling Around: Prague, Czech Republic

Can you relate?

• Not realizing that the 2nd language on the local product packages was Slovak until the last day of the trip.
• Being swarmed and surrounded by hundreds of tourists.  Thank goodness their numbers decreased after the weekend was over.
• Going to high-end restaurants for almost every meal, pretending that is how we normally go out to eat in our host country.
• Being actually quite impressed with the country’s churches, both outside and inside.
• Going to Bohemia Bagel every morning for breakfast.  Those bagels are pretty close to how they taste in NYC!
• Taking a short trip to Kutna Hora to see the “Bone Church.” Then deciding to walk to the center of the town (about 2-3 kms) not realizing the local bus could have taken us there much faster!
• Exploring local grocery stores to check out their products, hoping they have some things that cost much cheaper than what is available in our host country.
• Having a sunny, beautiful day every day of the trip, but then finally getting a cloudy, rainy day on the last morning during the taxi ride back to the airport.
• Getting a Thai massage after a day of walking around because the price of an hour massage is about 1/2 the price in our host country.
• Bring impressed by the buildings in Prague and how much of the design features being influenced by the Art Nouveau period.
• Seeing so many walking tour group everywhere.  The tour guide holding their attention-getting flag and talking through their head microphone/speaker.
• Feeling like we were truly in the Renaissance period seeing costumed trumpeters in a castle playing a tune at the top of every hour it seemed.
• Tried to go to the National Museum and the National Theatre to find they were both closed to the public.
• Finding a lady behind a little table selling opera tickets, taking a risk and buying tickets from her and then actually having a great time at the opera show.
• Bring very underwhelmed at the city’s botanical garden.  Maybe it was because we went there during the off-season.
• Seeing many marionettes and puppets around the city, including a Michael Jackson one resembling Pinocchio.

If you are on a trip right now, away from your host country, write to us at admin@internationalschoolcommunity.com with your “Can you relate?” traveling experiences.  Tell us where you are traveling in the world, what you are seeing and how you are coping with any culture shock.  Once your Traveling Around experience is posted on our blog, International School Community will give 6 free months of premium membership!